Question about the transition.

Redskins Locker Room

what about players like kurt warner? i don't remember ever hearing about him being in a draft. what if u aren't coming right out of college or haven't gone to college all together, but u want to try out for a team? i know i would personally look into the rules and options if i were a decent player in college who wanted to play for certain teams or to make sure i don't have to play for a team i hated.

It says: "Any person who has not been selected by a Club in a College Draft shall be free, after the completion of a College Draft for which he is eligible[.]"

Warner was eligible to be drafted but nobody wanted him that year. In fact, nobody wanted him for several years after he was eligible to be drafted.

Good college players will be drafted when eligible because they are scouted. The only way to "avoid" the draft is to sit out for two years. But why, if you are a top tier talent, sit for two years and cost yourself tons 'o cash?

What about someone like Rocket Ismail, who basically avoided the draft by signing a pro-contract with the CFL before the draft? Or Eric Swann, who played in some minor league before he signed with the Cardinals

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Theres a rule about that too. If no one drafted him coming out of college then it is moot, he can sign with anyone. However if he played at least 3 years with another professional football league(like the CFL or the arena league) then the team who drafted him has the right to match the offer of any team, but they do not have exclusive rights. Warran Moon and Doug Flutie come to mind here. Flutie was drafted by no one so he could sign with whomever he liked. Now I am too young to remember Moon's draft, but if he was drafted than whoever drafted him could have matched any offer the Oiler's made to Moon. If Kurt Warner was indeed drafted, I think he played for the Arena League for long enough that the only thing the Rams needed to do was beat any offer (if there was one) made by the NFL who drafted him.

you can still draft the rights to a player. look at drew henson, as long as he hasn't signed a contract with anyone, he is still eligible to be drafted. you can go to the CFL if you don't like who drafted you but you go right back in the pool again next year. also, you have to think about contracts and free agency. most of the time, it is better to get signed right away, go through a contract and then get the big time money as a potential free agent then to sit out and then walk in with no performance record.

Section 6. Return to College: If any college football player who becomes eligible for the Draft prior to exhausting his college football eligibility through participation is drafted by an NFL Club, and returns to college, the drafting Club’s exclusive right to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with such player shall continue through the date of the Draft that follows the last season in which the player was eligible to participate in college football, and
thereafter the player shall be treated and the Club shall have such exclusive rights as if he were drafted in such Draft by such Club (or assignee Club).

Does this mean if someone had drafted Mike Williams on the, anticipating that the court upholds the NFL, that team would have retained his rights until he actually became eligible??

I must be missing something b/c this seems to allow teams to draft juniors or eligible sophomores and hold onto their rights. Hell, if that's the case, spend a couple 7th rounders on players who will be coming out in a year or two and who look like sure things (Peyton Manning in his junior year).

Lets say player X is drafted by the Cowboys,but hates them (I like the guy already) and goes to play for the CFL. If he wants back into the NFL in the first year, he has to sign with the Cowboy or whomever they trade his rights to. If he wants to enter the next years draft he can do that and Dallas loses his right to him. However if he plays for the CFL for 3 years after being drafted by the Cowboys and then wants to play for the Skins, the Cowboys have the right to match any offer the Skins make. Or they could take a pick or something else in trade.

The thing about the college rule is the NCAA. The NCAA won't allow any player whom is drafted or signs with an agent(which Williams did) come back to play college football. That is unless they make a special exception, which they may in this years cases.

However I guess the guy could be drafted and go back to school to finish his degree, but I can't seee anyone doing this.